Progress on the Integrity Protection in the Natural World Heritage Site and Agroforestry Development in the Buffer Zone: An Implications for the World Heritage Karst

Abstract

In the face of increasing development pressure, how to fulfill the obligations under the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention and maintain the integrity of the Natural World Heritage Site (NWHS) is a major problem to be solved at present. Agroforestry (AF) development in the buffer zone maintains the integrity of NWHS and promotes sustainable ecological and economic development in the buffer zone. Still, few studies on the knowledge system of integrity protection of NWHS and AF development in the buffer zone research have been conducted. To fill this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review based on 128 related articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. Firstly, quantitative studies were conducted to analyze the annual numbers, content and study regions of the published literature. Secondly, the main research progress and achievements of integrity protection of WNHS and AF development in the buffer zone are classified and summarized. On this basis, this paper proposed key scientific issues that remain to be addressed in future, as well as exploring the implications for the World Heritage (WH) karst. This study is a scientific reference for the balanced development of NWHS integrity protection and AF in the buffer zone.

Conservation and Sustainable Tourism Development of the Natural World Heritage Site Based on Aesthetic Value Identification: A Case Study of the Libo Karst

“…In addition, based on similar studies on the identification and conservation of OUV of WNHSs, scholars selected outstanding biodiversity value as objects, identified and extracted their carriers and characteristics, and proposed sustainable development measures in parallel with conservation and tourism [65][66][67][68][69]. Only a few scholars clarified the carriers of aesthetic value and their characteristics [1,5,6] or the indicators of aesthetic value protection [70] or proposed macro-protection and technical management measures based on a textual description of aesthetic value in the inscription, such as fixed-point monitoring of the list of aesthetic landscape heritage [71][72][73][74] and the adoption of zoning protection strategies [75][76][77][78]. No scholars have carried out research on tourism protection and sustainable development based on aesthetic value identity.…”

“…In general, the tourism of WNHSs needs to update the tourism concept, establish a "conservation-based" development concept, strictly prohibit excessive development and illegal utilization, and strictly abide by the red line of heritage conservation and utilization. All developments must respect and protect the OUV of WNHSs [78]. Every responsible subject in the conservation and tourism process should understand the importance of OUV and the conservation of the WNHSs.…”